And A Happy New Year Part 9
by Isabella GL
Summary: Roger and Holly are ready to talk things out, but will they be able to?


Roger fumbled with his key and almost dropped it on floor in his haste to open the door of his room. Once inside, he looked at his watch and sighed. He was almost thirty minutes late, and he knew that Holly was always punctual. She also happened to be a rather impatient person, and was not the kind of woman who would wait by the door, especially under the circumstances. She had given him one more chance and he had blown it.

He picked up the phone and called her place, but there was no answer. He was going to have to find her. He headed back downstairs.

* * *

Meanwhile, Megan was entering the country club's bar to get a cocktail before dinner. She needed to relax a little before letting Roger know that she was in town. If everything went according to plan, she would not get much sleep that night.

Scanning the room, her eyes fell on what she assumed was a couple, a few years younger than she was. The man, with wavy black hair and dark eyes, was smiling and saying something that Megan could not hear but that caused the redhead woman to burst into laughter.

Going to the bar and ordering a drink, she discreetly turned around to get a closer look. She soon recognized the woman to be Roger's daughter, the young woman in the picture at his apartment. She took a sip to hide her smile. This was just too good to be true.

Tossing her hair back, she approached them.

"I am very sorry to bother you, but are you Blake Thorpe?

Blake eyed her suspiciously. She was always wary of other pretty women.

"Yes, I am. Do we know each other?" she inquired dryly.

"No, but I work with your father, Roger Thorpe. My name is Megan Leigh. Your father showed pictures of you, that's how I recognized you," Megan explained, waiting for an invitation to sit down.

Blake almost snorted. How typical of her father to go and hire the hottest girl around.

The man got up and offered his right hand to Megan. "Hi, I am Alan-Michael Spaulding. It is very nice to meet you. Would you like to sit down?"

Blake gave him a look that meant "I am going to kill you later", a look that Alan-Michael chose to ignore.

"You must be Blake's husband."

Alan-Michael smiled. "Ex-husband and dear friend."

"I didn't know that your father had gotten into the modeling business," he added for Blake's sake, giving an appreciative look to their guest.

Megan let out a demure laugh. "You flatter me, but business is the world that I am interested in, not fashion. I work with Roger as a consultant."

She turned to Blake. "But I guess you know everything about his new business already."

Blake could practically feel the steam coming out of her ears by now. Who did that woman think that she was?

"Actually, he has not been able to feel me in yet. As you must know, we haven't been in touch for a while." She paused and then added: "He came back to see my mother."

She saw that she had hit a nerve, although Megan managed to conceal it almost immediately.

"Oh?" was all that Megan answered.

"They had a stupid fight a couple of months ago, but now he is here to get her back."

"Is that so? It was my understanding that they had been divorced for several years," Megan replied, still keeping her cool.

"Yes, but they got back together again last year. You see, my parents can never stay away from each other for very long. Isn't that so, Alan-Michael?"

Alan-Michael, who was thoroughly entertained by Blake's attitude, took his time to answer, which infuriated her further. "They seem to have a very passionate relationship," he ended up conceding.

"How romantic," said Megan, getting up to take her leave. "It was nice to meet both of you, and I am sure we will get to see each other again. Blake, I will tell your father that his daughter is definitely one in a million."

"You got that right, Sister." Blake whispered as Megan was walking away.

Alan-Michael shook his head, smiling. "You looked like you were going to chop that woman into bits!"

"She's after my father, I could swear it. I don't trust her at all."

She was going to have to talk to her father about this.

* * *

Megan stopped in the lobby to gather her thoughts. Blake was one tough cookie, but she did have one weakness: she still acted like a child when it came to her parents.

It had been so easy to get the information that she needed, although she had not enjoyed being confirmed that Roger was deeply in love with someone else. Now she knew why Holly had come to see Roger. They were working toward reconciliation.

Busy devising her plan, she did not see Roger exit the elevator and approach her.

"Megan? What are you doing here?"

Her face lit up when she saw him. God, he was handsome, she thought. "I hope you don't mind my coming down here, Roger, but things are started to get rocky with the merger. I really need your advice and it seemed best to talk face to face. I know that you're busy, so I promise not to take too much of your time!"

Roger ran a hand trough his hair, thinking. "Sure, we can talk. I do have to go somewhere first on an urgent matter however. We can discuss business later." He started to walk toward the front door.

Megan followed him. "Roger, wait! Does your urgent matter have anything to do with Holly?"

Roger stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. "Why do you ask? Has she been here?"

Let's see how good an actress I can be, Megan thought. She put on a grave face. "She has. I saw her in the lobby and I introduced myself. I recognized her from the picture that was on your mantelpiece. She said she was coming to tell you that she had changed her mind about tonight."

Roger's heart sank.

"It doesn't make any sense. Why would she come here if she did not want to see me anymore?"

"She said she owed it to both of you to tell you in person that it was best not to see each other again."

"Why would she confide in you? She doesn't know you."

Megan could see that he was starting to become suspicious. She had to thread carefully.

"She looked pretty upset. I think that maybe she was just relieved not to have to face you after all? Is that possible?"

Roger was crestfallen. "I suppose so."

Megan gently took his hand. "I am sorry Roger."

He looked at the floor for a few seconds and then appeared to make a decision. "If this is really what she wants, fine, but she is going to have to say it to my face."

Megan felt a cold drop of sweat go down her spine. She could not let them meet again or else her little game would be uncovered. "Not that it's any of my business, Roger, but if you go after her, be careful. She said that you should leave her in peace. She said she knew you would honour her wish."

Roger staggered back, as if he had received a blow. He looked so hurt that Megan was tempted for a second to tell him the truth. She checked herself just in time. She had gone too far to go back now.

"What do you say we go discuss the Greenlight merger upstairs? You should not stay alone tonight."

Roger hesitated, still bent on going after Holly. Then he remembered the night of their fight and the knife she had pressed against her throat. Without a word, he headed back upstairs.


End file.
